Fracture
by VampireApple
Summary: Pepper injures her foot. Mild Pepper/Bruce/Tony.


_For a friend who fractured their foot. The X-Ray was inspired by a fic called The Long Away Around by ladygrey99 on AO3. _

Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers

It wasn't really Tony's fault. It just made Pepper feel better to curse his name. She had been walking through one of his labs, trying to find him when she tripped over something and landed on her foot. The noise her foot made hadn't sounded reassuring, and the pain that followed was the obvious indicator that something was wrong. She hobbled over to a table to sit down. Her foot was already swelling, so it hurt even more to take her shoe off. She wouldn't go to a regular doctor, and she didn't want to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"JARVIS, can you please ask Bruce to come here? And do not tell Tony! I can't deal with him right now."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

With every moment that passed the pain grew worse until Pepper was swearing out loud by the time Bruce walked in the room.

"Pepper, JARVIS said- oh." He took a moment to take in the sight before him, then walked calmly over to Pepper. "JARVIS, please get the closest person capable of carrying Pepper to our room to come here. Please have the next closest person bring an ice pack, a dish towel and ace bandages to our room. Thank you."

"Of course, Dr Banner."

"What happened?" Bruce asked. He gently took hold of Pepper's foot, carefully examining it.

"I tripped over shit and fucking landed on my foot, and there a shit ton of pain," Pepper said through clenched teeth. Bruce tried not to wince. The last time he had heard her swear this much Tony had gotten three broken ribs and third degree burns from a battle. Her vocabulary was very impressive, and consisted of several languages.

"Its not a sprain, it might be a break, but I'm fairly certain it's a fracture," Bruce told her.

Before Pepper could swear some more, Steve walked into the room. "JARVIS said you needed help?"

Bruce smiled at him. "Pepper's foot has been injured Can you please carry her to our bedroom?"

"Of course! I'm sorry you're hurt," he said. He picked her up carefully. Pepper gritted her teeth to keep from swearing.

Bruce left ahead of them. He made a quick detour into his second lab to grab a handheld X-Ray machine he and Tony had been tinkering with. The two had built it because Tony was 'bored while waiting for Pepper to finish a meeting.' The device looked like an old polaroid camera, just bigger. It was still portable, and just as accurate as a normal one. It also had the added benefit of drastically less radiation. Now they just needed to figure out how to make it for less than two point three million dollars. That mission accomplished he went to his, Tony and Pepper's room. Thor was outside the door, holding the items he had requested.

"Friend Bruce, JARVIS informed me Lady Pepper has been injured. I have brought the requested items and I am here to aid you however I can," Thor greeted him.

Bruce smiled. "Thank you Thor." He went into the room. "It looks like Pepper fractured her foot, but without an X-ray, I can't be sure. Steve is carrying her up here." Bruce pursed his lips, looking at the bed. He set the X-ray on the nightstand. "Would you go grab a few pillows from the couch? I don't know how many she'll want to lean against, and her foot needs to be propped up."

"I'll be back anon," Thor promised. Before he left he handed him the items he was holding.

Bruce fiddled with the ice pack and towel until he was satisfied, then he waited for Steve and Pepper to come.

"This is not fun," Pepper announced when they entered the room.

"Steve, please set her on the center of the bed. Pepper, what would you like to eat?"

"Chocolate."

Bruce chuckled. "Steve, can you please go get a sandwich and whatever chocolate is in the kitchen?"

"And coffee," Pepper insisted

"Tea would be better," Bruce tried.

"Coffee"

"Yes ma'am." Bruce swore Steve almost saluted Pepper.

Once Steve was gone Bruce turned her attention to Pepper. He crawled on the bed next to her foot. "How's the pain?"

"Its getting worse," Pepper told him.

Bruce hummed to signaling that he heard. He carefully examined her foot again. "The swelling as gone up, but that's not a surprise. I'm going to take an X-ray before I apply the ice, okay?"

"Bruce, you're the damn doctor. I'm sure you know what's best." Pepper said this with a certain amount of humor, but her voice was strained.

Bruce got off the bed and grabbed the X-ray machine. He took a picture of Pepper's foot. It took a few moments for the image to show up on the screen. "Well, it looks like your foot is fractured. That's better than broken, but you won't be able to walk on it for at least three weeks. You'll need to keep your foot elevated and iced." Bruce carefully applied the ice pack to Pepper's foot, making sure it wasn't too tight, or too loose.

"Ahhhh," Pepper sigh. "That feels so much better. Less like the fiery pits of hell and more like molten lava."

"… aren't they kind of the same thing?"

"No."

"Ah," Bruce blinked. "I'm going to go get the pain medication for you."

"You are my favorite," Pepper said. "On that train of thought, when are you going to tell Tony?"

"I'm going to have JARVIS tell him in a little bit. I figure you'd want the medication before Tony gets here."

"Oh, yes please."

Bruce smiled and left the room. The medicine was in the communal bathroom- which was really only used for treating wounds. As he walked he debated about different types of medicines and dosages. When he got to the bathroom he knew exactly what he was going to get her. It was the same one he'd initially had in mind, but he didn't want to over look anything either.

"JARVIS? When he's not doing anything dangerous, can you please inform Tony that Pepper's been injured, and that's she's in our room?" Bruce asked as he walked back to the bedroom.

"Of course Dr. Banner."

The scene that greeted Bruce when he got back made him blink. Pepper was sitting up in the bed, looking like a queen in pain. Thor had taken the amount of pillows needed liberally. Pepper's foot was propped two feet in the air. There where pillows surrounding her like she was a murder victim, and Thor was fluffing them. Steve was sitting next to her at the head of the bed, hand feeding her pieces of sandwich. She was hugging a plush doll of Simba that Tony had gotten her years ago.

"I brought the pain medication," Bruce said.

"Good!" Pepper reached out a hand to him.

Bruce went over to her and held up the medication. Pepper opened her mouth. Bruce would never admit it, but he was really amused. He placed three pills on her tongue. Steve held up the mug and Pepper took a drink.

"Ah, this is going to help so much," Pepper leaned against the head bored.

"Do you want anything else to eat?" Steve asked.

"No thank you."

"Do you require anything else Lady Pepper?" Thor asked, apparently done with fluffing the pillows.

"Maybe a few more blankets?" Pepper asked.

"As you wish," Thor replied.

"I'll go with you," Steve said. They left the room together.

Bruce looked at her. "You are so spoiled."

"Hey, if I'm injured I might as well have two incredibly attractive, muscled blonds eating out of the palm of my hand."

"Verses the two geeky hair haired genies you normally have?"

Pepper waved her hand at him, knowing he wasn't offended.

Tony burst into the room. "What happened! JARVIS said you were dying!"

"Sir, I did not say that, I said she injured her foot."

"Tony, shut up. I tripped over your stupid crap. I've fractured my foot, and for the next 24 hours you are going to do everything I say without complaint, go it?" Pepper demanded.

Tony nodded.

"Now, come cuddle with me. You too Bruce."

The two super genius got on each side of Pepper and took a nap with her.


End file.
